Author Interview: Sara Jo Cluff

Sarah Jo Cluff is the most amazing author! I love it when a new book with her name on it comes out, so I am extra excited because she has a new release!

First, and most importantly – Sara Jo is Team No Pineapple on her pizza. She’s my BFF now. Her perfect date night, however, is watching sports and having snacks, which is not *my* personal jam, but that’s okay. She’s a sweet chick anyway. I will sit down with her and watch some amazing movie marathons, though.

Sara Jo’s new book is called Daphne’s Questionable Bet. I read an advanced copy of this book and it was so adorable. I loved the characters, I loved the love interests, and I love that it was clean enough for me to get for my teenager!

Here’s a little about the book:

Buy it on Amazon

When sixteen-year-old Daphne Richards moves from Utah back to California, she’s excited by the prospect of being reunited with her childhood best friend. But her excitement quickly dies when she learns her mom’s high school rival lives next door—with a daughter the same age as Daphne. Sierra Winters is a chip off the old block. Eager to redeem her mother’s name, Sierra offers Daphne a simple challenge: Who can get the gorgeous and charming Bentley Anderson to ask her to prom? Confident in her ability, and unable to turn down a challenge, Daphne takes the bet. Both girls quickly go to work, doing everything in their powers to woo Bentley—while sabotaging the other. Only, another guy at school quickly catches Daphne’s eye, and her ever-building anxiety mounts when a picture involving Care Bear underwear risks getting out.

Sara Jo says Daphne is totally her, only way cooler since she’s not afraid to dance in public.
Says Sara Jo, “So, this is like the third version of this book. It started out back in 2013 titled Socially Challenged. It was a release for me, to go through all the crazy/awkward things that happened to me as a teen. Then, it went through a massive rewrite, becoming Awkward Anonymous, and it had 12 steps for the MC to survive her junior year. It just wasn’t quite right. So, in 2019 I decided to do a massive overhaul of the whole project, because I felt the story still needed to be told. I took most of the same characters, the main premise, but almost everything else changed. It was so much fun to write, and I’m glad I finally got it right. Third time’s the charm, right?”

I’m so glad she figured it out because I also relate with Daphne in a major way. I don’t think any teen girl – or former teen girl – wouldn’t relate. My daughter was obsessed with Care Bears as a kid, and she loves Cherry Coke, so I really felt motherly towards Daphne as well.

Daphne’s Questionable Bet comes out tomorrow – Feb 2, 2021 – and you NEED to get it for yourself, for your teenager, and your local school library. I hope you love it!

Follow Sara Jo Cuff on her socials:
https://www.facebook.com/sarajocluff
https://www.instagram.com/sarajocluff/
https://www.sarajocluff.com/

Advertisement

New Year, New Happenings

So I’m a little late with the New Year’s wishes. Happy 2021, y’all!
It’s already starting out a doozy isn’t it?

This year I decided my word for the year would be Amity. Friendship, relationship, community. Those are the things I want to bring my focus to this year. I can only pray I can be as wonderful a friend to those around me as they have been to me.

In the book world – we have a cover for Living Water. You will get to see it in March! I’m starting a newsletter (totally new for me and I am CLUELESS), so if you want to see the cover a little early, newsletter subscribers will get a sneak peek early! Needless to say it’s gorgeous. Cammie at Monster Ivy Publishing did an amazing job with it.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

I’m working on three totally different projects right now. I can only hope to finish them some day. You all know about the book(s) I affectionately call the Roses. Book one is about halfway done.
I’ve also picked up a book I started a few years ago that’s a contemporary piece that has a love triangle. I’ve always loved a good “Who will she pick?” story, and this one is right up there.
And I started a brand new novel, this one also contemporary, that revolves around several different people’s views of the truth as they see it. I hope that one works out into something wonderful!

In addition to that, I am going to be posting more book reviews on my Instagram page (also in Goodreads). They will be a mix of Christian and non-Christian books, as I enjoy reading most anything. I hope you find a few new thing to read there!

Did you pick a word for 2021?
What are your reading and writing goals for this year?

Author Interview: Mary Beesley

Eek! Mary Beesley is here stopping by today to chat with me. So. Excited. Y’all.
Isn’t she adorable?

Mary is the author of Dragon Blood. DRAGON BLOOD is a YA fantasy about twin brothers ripped apart and raised as enemies.
Doesn’t that sound captivating? I just had to know where this idea came from!

“Ha! My weird brain started thinking about how we all have darkness inside. What if that darkness was really tainted blood and then I started thinking, what if there were a culture that cultivated and praised the violent ego and they went to war with a culture that tried to conquer their dragon blood?”

I just had to know about these characters. Mary said, “Callidon, a hungry 16-year-old sick of mining the sand, wants to fit in and make his ma proud, but instead his violent tendencies bring shame. And the truth. He’s the son of a Draco Sang. If Cal can’t control the violent impulses of his dragon blood, he’ll grow into a monstrous Draco Sang—and he’ll be hunted.”
I’m raising my eyebrows here, because my youngest son is Cal (though not short for Callidon). 😉

Mary told me that the hardest part about writing is drafts one through fifteen. I feel that on a very real level. But she said the best part was… well, this is better said in her own words: “Satiating the hungry beast inside me that feeds on words.”

No wonder she loves action movies. For the record, she also loves rom-coms. Mary does think pineapple belongs on pizza (what is up with that??) and her idea date night is a moonlit stroll through nature.

Mary is a busy bee… She’s working hard on Book 2, WOLF PACK, which is coming out Nov of 2021. An adult fantasy, THE GRAYS, will be coming out December 3, 2020. And edits for BETTING ON LOVE, her first rom-com, is set to be published spring 2021.
Girl do you ever stop?

I asked Mary is she wanted to add anything else and she had one thing to say, “Perseverance is queen. Hope and grit and courage. Keep walking toward your dreams.”
Amen to that! Thank you so much, Mary!

Find Mary on her website or her socials!
@maryrbeesley for instagram
@maryrbeesley for twitter
https://www.facebook.com/MaryJolleyAuthor for Facebook
Or contact her through her website: www.marybeesley.com

I have news!

If you haven’t seen on my Facebook or Instagram accounts – I’ll have a new book coming out in the spring!

Living Water is a story about Roxie and her five husbands. Yes. Five.
Roxie marries a musician.
A chef.
A firefighter.
A real estate broker.
And a mechanic.

One is a marriage of convenience. One a marriage of loneliness. One is puppy love. One is wishful thinking.

Only one is the love of her life. Which one? You’ll have to wait to find out.

Living Water is my version of a a contemporary Woman at the Well from John 4. Jesus meets the woman, tells her she has been married five times, then offers her Living Water. That woman is the first recorded evangelist in the Bible. That’s right. A woman.
I’m thrilled to bring you this story of love, hurt, and everything inbetween. Coming in 2021!!